5 highlights when traveling to Iceland

When I told people that I was going to Iceland I could always rely on one thing – wide eyes. There is something about Europe’s most northern country that has people instantly fascinated. Iceland is unrivaled in its stunning variety of incredible landscapes, nowhere else in the world will you find this enticing mixture of wild shores, dramatic coastlines and impressive glaciers, no place else experience this enigmatic loneliness and exertion into nature at its rawest.

I only spent about 4 days in Iceland but they were enough to show me that every day in this incredible country was actually full of unique experiences, i was literally on a natural high for the entire time. While it is pretty hard to pick favorites, I do think that certain things have left a really deep impression on me and i therefore want to share them with you as things you must not miss when coming to see Iceland.

1. The Blue Lagoon

I loved the Blue Lagoon right away. The moment I slid into that bathtub warm water, glimpsed at the smily people around me, each one of them happy to be part of this surreal setting. I spotted a few folks with plastic glasses filled with wine and beer when I noticed the swim-up bar to one side of the pool – a swim-up bar! At a natural thermic pool! In that moment I mentally high-fived the person who came up with that idea. With a plan of getting my boozing on – nevermind the fact that it was only noon – I water-walked over to the large pot full of volcanic ash that people rubbed on their faces giggling. Totally thrilled at the idea of combining spa and fun I piled on the mud, already feeling like an Icelandic Cleopatra and the royal feeling would last since right after and out of the blue (lagoon – har har) someone handed me some much appreciated red wine.

Something else I loved about the lagoon was the water massage, provided by a handsome therapist, though let’s face it, pretty much every guy in Iceland qualifies as handsome. I had never heard of water massage before and as I was to find out it was actually invented at the lagoon. Here’s how it works: In a separated pool area you lie down on a floating mat while another mat lies on top of you covering your privates. Underneath you take off your top and the therapist massages your back and legs as you lie on your back. In my line of work I get to test many different types of massages and I might vote this one as my favorite. It was incredibly relaxing and felt amazing!

Definitely enquire about a massage when you go to Blue Lagoon. They’re 10 to 60 minutes long and cost between €20 and €95 – totally worth it! For a full list of treatments on offer click here.

Depending on how much time you’ve got do consider trying out the Lagoon’s restaurant Lava as it’s got a great reputation for meat dishes in particular. Its setting is spectacular as well.

2. The Aurora

When I first saw it it hit me like a hammer. I actually screamed and just could not believe my luck when right in front of me in the night sky there they were – the Northern Lights. It was around 8pm, we stopped the car immediately, got out, walked onto a field where the roadside lights weren’t shining as brightly and just stood there in awe. The aurora moved much faster than I would have thought and there were streaks of color in every direction I looked at. I took out my camera, set it on the highest possible ISO and snapped one picture after another. While the auora we saw with our own eyes in the sky did not appear to have a proper color (it seemed to be a mostly distant white) on camera they were green. Bright shining green.

3. Roadtripping

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Roadtripping is the best way of traveling any country in the world. In Iceland it’s almost a necessity if you wish to see the country as, apart from the one in Reykjavik, there are no airports, no train system and only limited options for bus travel. But even if you’re not the best of drivers like myself, given that there is next to no traffic on the streets, Iceland is a great place for driving. With an estimated population of only 320.000, most of which lives in the capitol, you are mostly alone out on the road (very romantic and adventorous), with small villages here and there but always stunning nature to admire.

As we drove, we came past herds of horses and sheep, waterfalls, dramatic cliffs, wide open fields, gorgeous mountain ranges and more than one beautiful rainbow. Here and there a road sign will indicate a small settlement after the turn – be sure to check out all of them, you never know what gems you might find. As far as I was concerened every kilometer felt like a gift.

4. Helicopter ride over Reykjavik

It was a beautiful morning. Around 12°C, blue skies, next to no clouds. An ideal day for a helicopter ride! We stayed at the Icelandair hotel which was conveniently located right next to Kevlavik airport where we met with our pilot who would take us on top of a mountain for the most incredible view over Reykjavik. This was my second time in a helicopter and once again I had a blast! I have a bit of a fear of heights and even flying planes makes me uneasy more often than not but something about helicopters just totally relaxes me – maybe because they remind me of toys. We stayed on top of the mountain for about 15 minutes, took an insane amount of photos and flew back to the airport. The experience – if you’re interested – costs $220 per person and can be best arranged with Norðurflug. I highly recommend it!

5. Food in Reykjavik

I should have known that I would be in for some amazing food, having never had anything below awesome in any scandinavian country but after careful consideration I think restaurants in Reykjavik take the cake. Every meal we had here was outstanding, special and full of flavor. The specialty tends to be meat and fish but while vegetarians may have to look a little harder for a good meal they will still find many tasty options.

There are a ton of great restaurants in the Icelandic capitol but my big favorite (and dare I say one of my top 3 international favorites) was the Grill Market. There is so much to say about it – the athmosphere is sexy yet vivacious, the lights are dimmed to perfection and the interior is edgy yet homey. And the food! Oh my god the food. If you come here for the first time don’t even think about not trying the so called tasting menu – a selection of 12 – you have read that correctly – 12 courses of divine food. Everything from lobster over whale to the finest lamb will be served and by the time desert rolls around you will curse the chef for making such great starters and mains that you have no space left for the even more incredible sweet treats at the end.

Other amazing dinner options are Dill or the Fish market and Laundromat Cafe for breakfast and lunch. Mind you, none of those are ideal for the low budget backpacker but I guarantee they’re worth saving for.

I’ve been once and loved the place – the landscape and the people way made up for the not great weather I had. I’m going again in March and I’ll take a list of those restaurants with me. One I can recommend that wasn’t too expensive was Fish & Chips – a healthier version of your classic fish and chips and very tasty indeed, with their own version of mayonnaise – skyronnaise – here’s their website http://www.fishandchips.is/eng_menu.htm

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I am planning a trip and would like to go in the summer but I would also like to see the Northern Lights. It seems you were there at the perfect time as by looking at the pictures the weather was beautiful.

# 8 May 2014 at 11:48 am

Kathi said:

Hey Jenny, I’m not entirely sure when Katja was actually there. I lived in Iceland from January until May. For Northern Lights you would have to go between November/December until February/March. To see them there needs to be the right sun activity, it has to be cold enough, dark enough and most of all clear sky. However the endless days of summer have their own appeal and make a holiday to Iceland even better (in my opinion). Of course, as anywhere, you can’t always predict when it’s sunny and when it’s rainy…

What wonderful photos! I too fell in love with Iceland when I visited a few years ago. You certainly did hit on most of the top spots. I would add the stunning Glacier Bay. I also adored all of the many sheep on our road trip as well as some amazing waterfalls.